Where would we be without a little ingenuity? For one thing, we wouldn't have new products like RD Shady, a line of interchangeable lampshade covers out of Olympia, Washington. Based on the concept that it should be as easy to update a lamp as it is a throw pillow, these clever covers zip on and off in jiffy.

You wouldn't expect a company named Lamps.com to have a 100 year history and yet it does. What started as Harry Horn Electric Supply in 1914, a business that thrived for more than 80 years and three generations, later morphed into Arch Street Lighting, an upscale lighting showroom. Flash forward 20 more years and it was time for the Philadelphia lighting stalwart to go online. And Lamps.com was born.

A Modern Space is at the crest of the new wave of design-led furniture shops in Ottawa, ON. Owner Patrick Hajas stocks the kind of modern, iconic brands which, until recently, were hard to come by in Canada's capital. His sharp eye and edited approach is perfectly in line with the needs of the area's homeowners, but the furniture, lighting and accessories sold here are also available online, with delivery across Ontario and Quebec.

If you don't live in a house with a yard, it can be easy to dismiss flower bulbs as something you could never use. On the contrary: bulbs are great for container gardens and little indoor centerpieces. The folks at Longfield Farms offer a wide selection of bulbs, as well as a how-to section to help walk you through the process.

Seed Furniture is an appropriate name for Reeve Schley's designs. Schley intends his furniture to grow with you and to make that happen the pieces can adapt over time. There's also a certain whimsy in his furniture. I mean, just look at that puzzle inspired armoire!

Isabelle Palmer founded The Balcony Gardener because she wanted to make the most of her small balcony in North London; she wanted to create a space where she could "look, sit, relax and grow my own little bit of green in the city." From ready made container gardens to gardening tools and outdoor furniture, The Balcony Gardener has an array of products you can use to create a garden escape of your own.

Hidden along the side streets of Georgetown's famous M street,
known for its mix of high and low end shopping, are smaller art
galleries and interior design spaces. And now there's a new kid on the
block, Matt Camron Rugs and Tapestries, and it's a welcome addition to the burgeoning fashion and design
scene here.

For years Etsy has dominated the web as the go-to source for small business, handmade, unique and one-of-a-kind goods. But to say the site's number of options can be overwhelming would be an understatement. To help streamline the search for eco-friendly and natural goods, a new website has popped up, Eco Market, which has branded itself as the "Etsy for Eco." The online retailer has focused not just on handmade, but the story behind the product — the who, what and why behind every item and business featured on the site.